LuLu'sTaco Shop - Gilbert AZ

LuLu'sTaco Shop - Gilbert AZ

LuLu's Taco Shop is located in the "Old Town" section of Gilbert on Gilbert Rd, just South of Guadalupe Rd. It's been there since 1989, which in AZ years is an eternity! It's a Mom & Pop shop serving "Authentic Guadalajara Style" Mexican Food as opposed to the predominant "Sonoran Style' Mexican Food sold in 95% of the restaurants in the "Valley of the Sun". What's the difference? I've tried to research this subject and can only come up with some minor differences. If someone can help me here, let's hear it. Most Sonoran dishes are simple foods like tacos, burritos and rice and beans. Guadalajara style foods kick it up a notch. Like more use of seafood - fish tacos, ceviche, and a wide variety of Camarones (Shrimp) like grilled, cocktail, endiablados, culichis and Fajitas de Camaron. the sauces and salsas vary also. Cabbage is used more frequently than lettuce.

So let's talk about LuLu's Taco Shop. As mentioned, it's been around 22 years. When they opened, Gilbert was a sleepy little agricultural community of maybe 10, 000 people. Today, it has about 250,000 people. I moved here in 2000 and have driven by this place hundreds of times for almost 12 years and have always said to myself, "I need to stop there someday". Well, today was the day! I went in about 1:30 PM and the lunch crowd was gone. Just me and LuLu and a cook in the back. The place is spotlessly clean. You order at the counter and then she brought my food to me. I guess when their busy you wait at the counter to get your own food. They had a Salsa Bar with pickled veggies, pico de gallo, medium, hot and green chile salsa. Everything was fresh. They have Mexican sodas like Jarritos, Senorial and domestic sodas. They also serve Horchata and fresh juices as well as Mexican & domestic beer and Pina Coladas and Margaritas. They serve Breakfast all day so, since I had not eaten yet, I ordered The Breakfast Gordo Burrito($5.99) - 3 eggs, chorizo, pico salsa, potatoes and Mexican cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla and an Orange Jarritos Soda($2.15). When it came out, it looked like a Pop Werner Football! Humongous! Fresh, spicy and flavorful. I picked up some of all the salsa bar and and used it all! The green chile salsa was very good as were all the salsas. This place has won numerous awards from local area food critics as well as people's choice awards, etc. Don't know why it took me so long to stop there. Won't happen again! www.LulusTacoShop.com For all you Scallywagg Carpetbaggers from parts East of here, put it on your list when visiting.